I. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to the field of telecommunications and to apparatus for distributing wires or cross connecting telecommunication lines. More particularly, this invention pertains to a test shoe for temporarily accessing said lines.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Wire distribution apparatus are widely used in the telecommunications industry to interconnect equipment lines and distribution lines. An example of a wire distribution apparatus is shown in copending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 864,023, filed May 16, 1986, and entitled "WIRE DISTRIBUTION APPARATUS". The apparatus of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 864,023, includes a plurality of termination modules formed of two hinged panels. Each of the panels include a plurality of electrical connectors.
In a wire distribution apparatus such as that described in the aforementioned patent application, it is desirable to provide the electrical connectors of the apparatus with circuit protector elements. It is also desirable to provide access of test equipment to the conductors terminated on the wire distribution apparatus. Commonly, wire distribution apparatus would include three segregated areas or fields. These would include a wire termination field, a protector field and a test field. Access to the test field would commonly be provided by adaptor equipment or test shoes. An example of such is the AT&T test shoe referred to as the AT&T Technical Systems Block, Catalog No. 299A Test Adaptor (Comcode 103065819).
The use of separate test fields takes up substantial space in a wire distribution area thereby reducing the density of the cross-connect fields. Alternatively, such test connectors would be connected directly to access points of protector elements. However, such accessible protector elements are costly.